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A mother whose child went missing just days after her birth
eight years ago had hidden the pregnancy from family and friends, a
coroner's court was told yesterday.

Keli Lane had also hidden two other pregnancies after which she
had the children legally adopted, Westmead Coroner's Court
heard.

The court was convened to determine whether an investigation is
warranted into the disappearance of Ms Lane's second child,
Tegan.

Deputy state coroner Carl Milovanovich has appealed to the
public for any information about the child's whereabouts.

"If anybody has any information in relation to Tegan Lane or any
other information that the police can realistically investigate,
nothing would give me greater pleasure [than] not to have
jurisdiction in this matter, but if that is not forthcoming I must
investigate this as a suspect death," he said.

Counsel assisting the coroner, Kathy Newton, told the court Ms
Lane had given birth to a daughter in March 1995 and a son in May
1999, both of whom she had had legally adopted. Tegan Lane was born
on September 12, 1996.

But Ms Lane had kept the pregnancies from her family and from
her friends, Ms Newton said.

Tegan, her second child, was reported missing in 1999, when she
tried to adopt out her third child. The court was told Tegan has
not been seen since she was taken home by her mother to Fairlight
two days after her birth at Auburn Hospital.

Ms Lane had given three different accounts to police and
authorities about Tegan's whereabouts, the court was told.

In 1999 Ms Lane sent a letter to Anglicare admitting that she
had three children and stating Tegan was living in Perth. "There
are three children, obviously I can't lie any more as the paperwork
is there," she wrote.

"The middle child [Tegan] lives with a family in Perth although
I have not had contact with them for some time.

"I know you probably can't believe it ... if my story isn't
unusual enough as it already is, I know you probably can't believe
it but I know somehow that you can now know I am being honest with
you."

She then told police she had given Tegan to a Sydney man named
Andrew Morris, later changing the surname to Norris.

The man, believed to be Tegan's father, has denied any knowledge
of the baby, Ms Newton said. In 2001, Ms Lane gave birth to a
fourth child who lives with her and her partner.

"Keli Lane has given birth to four children, three of them she
did not tell anyone about ... she kept them a total secret from all
of her friends and family," Ms Newton said.